Svartifoss – The Gallivant Post http://thegallivantpost.com Wandering the World Fri, 10 Mar 2017 09:07:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 http://thegallivantpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/cropped-TGP_logo_SQ-32x32.png Svartifoss – The Gallivant Post http://thegallivantpost.com 32 32 Snapshot: Drinking in the beauty of the Svartifoss Falls http://thegallivantpost.com/snapshot-drinking-in-the-beauty-of-the-svartifoss-falls/ http://thegallivantpost.com/snapshot-drinking-in-the-beauty-of-the-svartifoss-falls/#respond Thu, 31 Mar 2016 16:17:38 +0000 http://thegallivantpost.com/?p=3090

It makes a mesmerizing sight, a silver stream cascading down an imposing wall of dark columns. The Svartifoss, or the Black Falls, is named after the dark lava hexagonal basalt columns that it’s surrounded by and is tucked away at the Skaftafell National Park in Iceland.

The Svartifoss Falls, not your usual kind of waterfall.
The Svartifoss Falls, not your usual kind of waterfall.

Most visitors take a leisure hike to the waterfalls from the visitor information center 1.5km away.  You’ve got to work a little to witness all that beauty- the climb there is on an incline, but that means the hike back is a piece of cake. The Svartifoss’s basalt columns isn’t the first of its kind, there’s also the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland and the Devil’s Tower in the United States but it’s definitely one of the most popular. The charm of this Black Falls lies in its location and that stately waterfall.

The Svartifoss Falls in winter makes quite a breath-taking sight too.
The Svartifoss Falls in winter makes quite a breath-taking sight too.

The falls is surrounded by gorgeous landscape- enveloped by mossy hills with a glacier and around four other waterfalls.  The falls itself is almost 20 meters, with the water descending into an amphitheater-like pool made of geometrical basalt columns. It has been said that the beauty of the falls is so great that it inspired Icelandic architecture. The architectural style of the famous Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavík was said to be inspired by the Svartifoss.

The Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavík  is an artful representation of the Svartifoss Falls.
The Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavík is an artful representation of the Svartifoss Falls.

Tip: there are more than one hiking trails in the Skaftafell area, so if you’re looking to embark on one than one hike, you can buy a map at the visitor center. You can check out more hiking trails at the  Vatnajokulsthjodgardur national park website.

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